Will the Department of Defense EMP drill shut down power grid? No

A video that falsely claims that a Department of Defense (DoD) communications drill will cause the national power grid to go out for several days in early November is causing panic on social media.  The video warns that the Department of Defense will be using an electromagnetic pulse to shutdown the power grid November 4-6 – and that everyone needs to prepare now.  While a training exercise is happening during that time period, the outcome has been exaggerated by false reports being shared on social media.  The official DoD announcement about the planned exercise states:

“This exercise will begin with a national massive coronal mass ejection event which will impact the national power grid as well as all forms of traditional communication, including landline telephone, cellphone, satellite, and Internet connectivity.” — Army MARS Program Manager Paul English

During the exercise, the national power grid will not be impacted. Most social media reports referencing the announcement do not mention the exercise is a simulation and will have no “real life” impact. “The average citizen will not even know this exercise is taking place. Our focus is to interoperate with the amateur radio community,” English told Snopes.

Why the Far Right Thinks a Second U.S. Civil War Launches Saturday

According to a vocal group of conspiracy mongers who dwell on the fringes of the internet, millions of antifa soldiers will commit mass decapitations of white parents and raid the houses of innocent gun-owning citizens this Saturday to launch a second American civil war.The looming threat of a bloody Nov. 4 assault on everything that the ultra-right holds dear has been elevated beyond paranoid rumblings. Various permutations of the myth have now gained traction among notorious institutions such as Alex Jones’s InfoWars, which is also reporting news of nationwide riots leading to a civil war, and the John Birch Society, which is advising that people have buckets of water and sand ready to put out fires from antifa. Even the Gateway Pundit, a White House-credentialed pro-Trump blog, has helped spread the rumors of antifa beheadings. YouTube videos about it have millions of views, and it’s one particular video that helped to propel this exaggerated tale to prominence. Read More

South Koreans are protesting against Trump’s visit — and in support of it, too

SEOUL — Just days ahead of President Trump’s visit, hundreds of South Koreans took to the streets of the capital on Saturday in protest.But not everyone was against Trump’s visit: Just a few blocks away from the main anti-Trump protest by the U.S. Embassy, a smaller pro-Trump demonstration was taking place. The two events reflected the conflicting concerns in South Korea at a time when many feel the risk of conflict with North Korea is running high. Read More